Rant the First

[vaznetti]

Ironically, ever since I did that rant meme, I've come up with real life subjects for ranting--my colleagues, the weather, static electricity, regular electricity, the university, the universe... well, you can see where this is going.

Anyway, se_parsons wanted to know what's wrong with kids today, and specifically, with my students.

Comments

[chele74]

I absolutely understand your frustration--that was why I'd always volunteer to teach Latin rather than a survey course because at least in Latin I'm asking them to memorize, not to think. Not that I could get every last person to fall in line, but it was much easier than dealing with a class full of zombies.

I know your rant probably comes off as slightly harsh to those who identify with being a student in the classroom, but it is exactly what most of us who've taught think about our classes. It's not that every student is a mute or an idiot--obviously, we weren't, and I've had fabulous students--but the majority of them do give that impression in spades and, worse, they don't seem to care.

[dagnylilytable]

I'd just like to emphasize that this:

and whereas it's a little gratifying to have your own opinions parroted back to you as the revealed truth, it's not what education is really about. It's also really boring: after all, I already know what I think.

is why I would want to take a class with you.

Second, I think you're in the minority on that one, in some respects, and certainly in some departments on my campus, and that makes me sad.

[vaznetti]

Thanks--but I don't think that I am in the minority of faculty for wanting to hear student opinions rather than our own again--we'll accept it if it's the best we can get (and usually, it is the best we can hope for) because at least it's evidence that someone was paying attention. But there's nothing better than the moment where you can say, "you know, I haven't thought of that--and not because it's crazy and wrong."

[anonymous]

First, I think we have to take a breath and remember that the teens on TV are written by grownup who have several weeks to work out their quips and snappy comebacks. So we can't expect students to respond in class like they had a really good tv writer (as opposed to the ones who write shows we don't like) whispering their lines in their ears

[vaznetti]

The problem for today's kids, I think, is us. The world is kind of in a mess, and there is only a tiny fraction of the population who can afford education for enrichment.

I think that our failure has been to make it clear that education for enrichment is not the preserve of the wealthy--in today's economic climate, it's the only form of education that makes sense. The higher educational establishment has allowed itself to be hijacked by people who can't tell the difference between education and vocational training, and that, I think, is criminal. But that may be a rant for another day.